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12 Suva Schools Participated in the 2019 IWF JWC Schools Program

12 Schools from the greater Suva area are taking advantage of the 2019 IWF Junior World Championships by participating in its “Voices of the Athletes” Schools Program. Weight training is basic to all sports and the physical development of young sportspeople. By exposing the students to such a high caliber competition, Weightlifting Fiji, under the leadership of Atma Maharaj, expects to spark further interest in the sport and also create a pathway for an active and healthy life. The Ministry of Education has approved students from Suva-based Secondary Schools to come to watch the Championship between Monday 3rd to Wednesday 5th June 2019. The program will be at no cost to the schools or the students, as it is supported by Fiji Bus Operators Association (FBOA) in collaboration with its members, The Organising Committee thanks the FBOA members, who will transport the students from these 12 schools daily for the 3 school days. Of these 20 Schools invited, 12 schools have selected to send their students to participate in the program. This program will provide a unique opportunity for around 1,500 students to be able to witness a world-class event, hosted in Fiji. The Olympic values program is run by FASANOC’s Voices of the Athletes Team where they conduct interactive Education sessions, comprising of games, questions and discussion forums in a fun environment. The program has 5 components: Play Safe - STOP HIV / AIDS in Fiji Play True – Information on Anti-Doping Go Green - Sustainable Coastlines Be a Leader – Be a Leader on and off the sports field Staying Healthy – Focus on a healthy lifestyle and combatting NCDs The 12 Schools that will participate in the program are: John Wesley College Sacred Heart College Joseph Secondary School Dudley High School Jai Narayan College Nabua Secondary School Ratu Sukuna Memorial School Lami High School Suva Sangam College Assemblies of God DAV College Gospel High

Georgia picked up it’s first gold of the 2019 JWC in M102

The men's 102kg competition ended with the great victory of CHKEIDZE Irakli, obtaining the first gold for Georgia on the Junior World Championships. The 2018 Junior World and Junior European Champion IRAKLI was second in the Snatch behind overall silver medallist ARLIONAK Andrei (BLR), but managed to turn the odds in the Clean and Jerk. After securing his first place at the second lift of 204kg, CHKEIDZE came out for a Junior World Record attempt in Clean and Jerk, but the 213kg weight proved to be too much for him. CHKEIDZE totaled 371kg, one kilogram more than his Belorussian competitor, while AZIZI Amir (IRI) stepped on the third podium and received three bronze medals (165, 195,

KUZGANBAYEVA won the women’s 81kg category

On the sixth day of the IWF Junior World Championships in Suva, Fiji, KUZGANBAYEVA Karina (KAZ) took all three golds in the women's 81kg competition with six good lifts. In the Snatch, she scored 126kg, that second finisher, Korean JANG Hyeonju tried to match, but could not lift, leaving her with a 124kg score in this lift. Russian FEDICHKINA Tatiana received a bronze medal for her 115kg lift. The Kazakh lifter added another kilogram to her advantage over JANG in the Clean and Jerk (98kg), rounding up their Total results to 224kg and 221kg respectively. VIZGINA Ekaterina cut ahead to the third Clean and Jerk and overall place with 3 good lifts finishing at 93kg, and 206kg

Egypt scored gold in the men’s 96kg category

This year's African Champion, ALI Ahmed Sayed Ashour (EGY) took all three golds in the men's 96kg bodyweight category. With three good lifts in the Snatch, finishing at 165kg, ALI was the best, just us in the Clean and Jerk with 200kg but missing his last attempt at 206kg. Interestingly, all the 11 participants of the session missed the last attempt in the Clean and Jerk. Receiving the silver medal, Kazakh ANTROPOV Artyom totaled 352kg, while the youngest in the field, 16 years old BABAYAN Artur (RUS) finished in the third place with a 346kg Total result. "I am very happy, it is my second Junior World Championships [2018 - silver medal] , and now I won. I worked very hard for a year to get here and this is the second major competition I won within a month, after the African Championships." - ALI said. Check out the full

Glorious victory for USA’s NYE in the womens 71kg category

There was no challenge in winning for NYE Katherine Elizabeth in the women's 71kg session, she scored a glorious victory on the fifth competition day of the Junior World Championships in Suva, Fiji. Only one month ago, she won the Pan-American Championships and set several records on the way. "It was a quick turnaround after the Pan-American Championships,  but we tried very hard to do as much as we could. I think it went well, I'm really happy!" - she said after the medal ceremony. Watch the full interview here! In both lifts, she only came out when everyone else finished their attempts and secured the gold medals at the starting weights. In the Snatch, she lifted 109kg and 137kg in the Clean and Jerk, rounding up her final score to 246kg, which is a whopping 36kg more than the silver medallist, GUSEVA Evgeniia's (RUS) Total, 212kg. GUSEVA was 12kg behind NYE in the Snatch, picking up the silver medal and finished third in the Clean and Jerk. ALTUN Berfin was the second runner up in the Clean and Jerk, 19kg behind the American, also reaching the third place overall (206kg).

ANDREWS won the first ever Junior World Championships gold medal for NZ

MAHMOUD Rania Mohamed Ezzat won the day's second overall gold for Egypt in the women's 76kg bodyweight category, with a 97kg Snatch and 122kg Clean and Jerk. MAHMOUD has a history of winning every single international competition she participated in so far, most recently the African Championships in the 71kg category. ANDREWS-NAHU Kanah Shenelle pinched the Snatch gold from ALI, which is a historical medal for New Zealand, the first-ever on a Junior World Championships (98kg). She also got the overall bronze medal, with a Total result of 212kg. "I feel amazing. I was very happy, then I got really emotional and started to cry. (...) I felt under less pressure because I trusted my coaches, I was able to absorb everything in the moment, " said ANDREWS with a big smile on her face. NARIN Dilara (TUR) finished second (217kg), which is the second World medal for her within a couple of months, she won the gold medal at the IWF Youth World Championships in Las Vegas and was second at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic